Lion's Roar
by Tainted Light
Summary: Elizabeth Nekomia is a normal 15 year old girl, save for the fact that she hunts Hollows. When Ichigo goes to save Rukia, she follows. When she gets there, she has to deal with the past she left behind. ZarakixOC
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"God damn it!"

For the 5th time that week, Ichigo Kurosaki was running late getting home. **Damn that Rukia! Why do I have to hunt hollows **_**every **_**damn day?! **As he ran down an alleyway as a shortcut, he remembered that day's 'Hollow Hunt', as he now called it. First, they had spent almost an hour finding it, then almost half an hour fighting it. Rukia had commented on it being the longest she had ever seen. **It wasn't my fault the thing spat fireballs! **As he turned a corner, he ran right into his little sister Yuzu. She fell on her butt, startled.

"Sorry, Yuzu. Why are you out here so late?" She took his hand and stood up.

"I was getting some food for diner with Karin. We heard noises of a fight in the alley. I wanted to go home, but you know Karin." Ichigo nodded.

"Mm. So, did she find the fight?"

Yuzu nodded sadly.

"What's wrong? Wait…why do you have blood on you?! Are you hurt?!" Yuzu shook her head.

"N-no. But, Karin…" Ichigo froze.

"The alley by the general store, right?" Yuzu nodded. Ichigo sprinted towards the store, after giving his sister firm instructions to go home. **When I get there, I'm gonna… **He slid around the corner into the alley and he felt his heart stop. In front of him, some guy stood over Karin with an iron pipe raised to strike. It seemed as if she was already unconscious and bleeding quite heavily. He ran towards her, afraid he wouldn't make it in time. As the stranger pulled his arm back to hit her, a shadow crept up behind him. The man swung the pipe towards Karin, as if time had slowed.

"**KARIN!**"

* * *

At home, their father was drinking a cup of coffee, humming while he did so. He glanced at the newspaper as he reached for the sugar. "Neh. Taxes are going up again." As he went to take a sip, the cup cracked in his hand, spilling the hot liquid on himself.

"OUCH!" He jumped up and danced around trying to find a towel.

"Yeesh. What the…?" He looked through a window while toweling himself off.

"I hope the kids are okay."

* * *

The man stared at his hand. His **empty **hand.

"Where did…?" He flipped his hand over, as though it might have been there.

"Lookin' for this, big guy?" He whirled around and saw a young woman holding his iron pipe. Ichigo tripped onto his face. He looked up and saw one of his old friends.

"Liz!" She winked at him.

"How ya doin', Strawberry?" A vein popped in his head.

"Just. Great." She snickered and flipped her amber colored hair over her shoulder. Elizabeth, or Liz, had amber colored hair that went to her shoulders, and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a tight leather jacket on with nothing underneath and light blue jeans with rips in the knees. On her feet were black leather high-heeled boots. On her hands were black fingerless gloves and a silver band on each finger. As she walked forward, her rings clicked against the pipe ominously. The man began to visibly sweat. Liz stopped right in front of him and rested the pipe on his right shoulder. She tapped it, and then raised it. It hit his shoulder with a sickening crack. The man howled in pain, and fell to his knees. Liz grabbed his hair roughly and pulled his face up to hers.

"Next time ya wanna play with a little girl, I'll find ya again. And I'll do worse then this to ya." She shoved him into a nearby wall, and he took off cursing at her.

Liz sighed and lightly picked up Karin. She walked up to Ichigo and passed her to him. She waved a finger in front of his face.

"Watch your sisters better, ya hear?" He gulped and nodded. She placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "Guess I'll be goin' now. See ya!" She walked past him into the street.

"Liz!" She stopped but didn't turn.

"Urm…thanks." She turned and smiled.

"No prob!" She continued walking, quickly vanishing in the crowd. **I owe you one…Elizabeth.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Unlucky Mondays**

Liz yawned as she stepped onto the pavement from her house's lawn. It was 6:30 AM on Monday morning. Oh, how she hated Mondays. It seemed to be her unlucky day. Her little brother, Darian, was asleep. The lucky boy didn't have school that day. She sighed and started walking down the street. She had quite awhile till school began. She took her time, greeting the people she knew along the way. As she reached the high school, she paused outside the gates. **What was…? **A crash and a scream, then all of the windows of the school shattered. Liz looked through the shards as they caught the light of the morning sun, to see a young boy falling. The boy was transparent, so he was obviously a spirit. She didn't know what had happened, but immediately threw her bag aside and sprinted towards him. Just as he was nearing the ground, she leapt up and caught him in her arms. She flipped over and landed neatly on her feet, the boy clinging to her neck. She kneeled down so the boy was between her legs, sobbing into her shirt.

"M-mommy's gonna get me! Please! Don't let her get me!" Liz's eyes softened and she stroked his light brown hair.

"It's all right. Mommy won't get ya now." The boy began to cry harder as she looked around for the Hollow. **Jeez, what have I got myself into now? **She heard a Hollow's scream and quickly dodged a clawed hand that clawed a hole where they had been. She clutched the boy to her chest and flipped midair, dodging its tail. She landed on top of the gate and froze when she finally had a full view of the Hollow. **Ah, shit. **It was massive. The lower half of the body was on one end of the roof, while the upper part of its body hung off the roof, reaching towards her. It looked like a messed up mutation of Godzilla. The boy whimpered and shrunk further into her arms. Liz closed her eyes. **This is way over my head. What do I do? **She opened her eyes as she heard the Hollow's claws screech against the cement building. She glanced at the boy. He had a death grip on her neck and his eyes were squeezed shut.

"What's you're name, kid?" The boy glanced up at her.

"I-it's…Jayden." She looked at the Hollow. Its forked tongue was raking the air trying to find their scent. It seemed to have no eyes, so she had some time.

"Listen, I need ya to do something for me, 'kay?" He hesitantly nodded.

"Good. I need ya to climb up onto my back. I need to beat this thing and I can't when I have to carry ya."

"O-okay." The boy moved onto her back, wrapping his legs around her ribcage (he was really little). Liz exhaled. She wrapped her arms around herself. She focused all her reiatsu into her hands and feet. An involuntary growl began deep within her throat. Silver claws sprouted from her knuckles, the ends dripping with her own blood. They had black Celtic runes carved on them that glowed with her reiatsu. Blades pierced through her knees and elbows as well. Her eyes clouded over, turning ebony. Her fans sharpened and she bared her teeth at the hollow. It swiveled its head towards her and roared again.

"Foolish mortal! Give me back my…" The Hollow crouched against the building creating cracks and fissures in the walls.

"SON!" She leapt at them, mouth gaping open with giant fangs. Liz quickly jumped into the air, narrowly escaping the Hollow's attack. She tucked her legs in and rolled as she hit the ground. She flipped up using her legs to propel herself. The Hollow's tail came at her, covered in spikes. She quickly jumped back, glancing at the boy. **He's still slowing me down. Plan B time. **She back flipped over the gate and landed in the parking lot. She laid the boy under a van behind her. The Hollow landed in a crater on the other side of the lot.

"Whatever ya do, stay under the car. I'll take care of her for ya." Liz stood and walked in between a line of cars. Her heels clicked against the cement, drawing the thing's attention. She cleaned her claws off on her jeans and slowly brought them all back into her body. The runes appeared on her fingers and she smirked. They continued up her neck beneath her uniform. They spiraled up her neck, torso and legs, glowing a soft black beneath her clothes. She stretched her legs and cracked her knuckles as the markings covered the left side of her face.

"I'm over here…ya old hag." The Hollow screamed in rage and charged at her. Liz moved at the last second, latching onto its claws. The monster screamed as its claws were snapped off. Claws that had shredded steel, broken like twigs. The Hollow held its injured hand to its chest.

"HOW?! How can a mortal girl do this to me?!" It froze as it felt a grip on its tail. It looked down to see Liz holding the tail.

"Simple really. Just like this." With that said, she folded the monster's tail completely in half with a sickening crack. The monster threw its head back and screamed so loud, she wondered if she'd have to fight reinforcements soon.

"YOU BITCH!" Liz winked at her, the pointed end of the tail in her hand.

"Love ya too, hun." She jumped and kicked the Hollow squarely in the head. It fell onto its back and lay there screaming in pain. Liz was still in the air and landed on the Hollow, driving the tip of the tail through its mask. The mask shattered and a pair of huge black gates opened behind them. Liz quickly jumped out of the way as a huge black knife pierced the Hollow. She walked away from the gates quickly, not wanting to be pulled in. She found the boy as the gates shattered. He had moved away from the fight and lay on his side, clutching his legs to his chest. She moved so her face was directly in line with his, and motioned for him to come out. He only shook his head and pulled himself into a tighter ball. Liz frowned.

"You're mom's gone, darlin'. There's nothin' to be afraid of." The boy just shook his head again. Liz stood and looked at the van, crossing her arms over her chest. **I could move it, but the boy's been through too much. **Abandoning the idea of using force, she looked around. **What could he be afraid of? **Her head throbbed dully as she realized her markings were still in effect. She closed her eyes and slowly pulled her reiatsu into herself. As soon as she finished her legs began to shake and she had to lean against the van. The markings melted into her wrists, leaving horrible scars. **My two favorite side-effects. **She quickly took some bandages out of her pocket and wrapped her wrists. She leaned down to try to get the boy out. She blinked as she realized there was no one under the van. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him run through the gates. She quickly sprinted towards him. She leapt over a truck and pulled herself over the gate. She saw his disappearing form through the shattered windows of the school. She gave a feral growl and leapt to the ground, running to the building wall. She put her feet in one window sill and reached for the next with her hands. **Third floor, two rows of window per floor. Yippee. **Her hands were slick with blood by the time she got to the third floor window. She plucked long shards of glass from her hands as she realized what room she was in.

**This is my classroom….OH SHIT! SCHOOL! **She panicked as she realized that the early bird students would be arriving soon. **I have to wrap this up! **She jumped into the hall and bounced off the wall, landing on all fours. She managed to calm her heartbeat and closed her eyes in concentration. She swiveled her head in all directions trying to pick up the sound of his footsteps. She froze as she heard his fervent whispers. **He's…in the janitor's closet? **She crawled noiselessly on all fours to the small closet. She kneeled and slowly turned the knob. The whispering stopped as the door swung inwards. The boy sat with his back to her, his arms wrapped around him.

"Why were ya runnin', kid? Gave me a fright." Liz stretched out a hand and rested it on his shoulder. The boy tensed.

"Sorry, but it wasn't safe…" Liz withdrew her hand and sat on the floor, leaning against the door frame. She sighed and ran a hand through her honey locks. Jayden bent his head down and almost seemed to smirk.

"…for you…" Liz snapped her head back to him. She just barely saw the clawed hand pierce through her torso and into the wall behind her. She dangled from its arm like a human shish kabob. She felt, and heard, her blood drip down onto the floor. Her eyes began to fade as she saw the Hollow remove its body from the boy like a snake sheds its skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a orange and black blur coming towards them. She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt something slice through the arm. She landed in soft, warm arms. She opened her eyes and saw Ichigo's worried face. She barely heard him yell her name as she slowly closed her eyes. **Don't worry. This cat's still on her third life.**

* * *

Liz kept her eyes closed as her body accustomed to the familiar pain of revival. Once all the popping and cracking had finished she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and glanced around. **Where the hell am I? **She was laying on Ichigo's bed in his room. She moved to get out of the bed when she realized that Ichigo had his head resting on her ribcage. She stroked his hair for a moment reflecting on the time before unconsciousness. **Its always Monday when this shit happens…. **She sighed and quickly checked her body for remaining injuries and scars. The slits on her knuckles had healed without scars, same as her elbows. She couldn't see her knees, but she suspected they were fine. She ran a hand across her stomach and felt nothing but smooth skin. Although, she found three or four stitches around her tailbone. She smiled softly. **I guess Ichigo to me to Isshin when he found me. Smart kid. **She always went to Isshin to fix her Hollow injuries, as she didn't want to deal with the regular hospitals wild accusations of what she had been doing. She was also friends with Kisuke Urahara, a close friend of Isshin's. They had taught her the basics of hand to hand combat when she was young.

She knew of his past shinigami life, and how he hided it from his family. She also knew that Ichigo had become a substitute shinigami, and talked to Rukia about it a few times. She might have been away from the Soul Society for some time, but she knew a noble when she saw one. Rukia had filled in the gaps of her memory on the Seretei and kept her up to date on the current situation. She was glad that she was getting a break from all the Hollows. Before, she had been the only one out fighting them. She was brought out of her thoughts when Ichigo opened his eyes. She kept stroking his hair and smiled.

"Good morning. Or…is it evening?" Ichigo looked like a kid surprised with and early birthday present. He literally tackled her to the ground with a hug that cracked her back. She laughed outright when Ichigo sneezed.

"Need to dust a bit, me thinks." He glared at her playfully and pulled her to her feet. He began to feel her over, and she let him. She knew he was just checking to see if she had any injuries left. He sighed in relief and hugged her to his chest. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"What the heck happened to you? You almost died!" **I did. **She patted his head and lightly pushed on his chest to signal that she'd had enough. He reluctantly let her go.

"So…uh…why didn't you die? Not that it's a bad thing or something, but it's pretty strange." Liz sighed.

"I have… well, bluntly put I've got nine lives." His jaw hung open slightly as he tried to come up with an answer to that. He failed and closed his mouth. A few awkward moments passed until her stomach growled, and she blushed. Ichigo smirked and went to open his door.

"Come on, Yuzu's got dinner going." **It's still the same day? Wow, I'm gettin' good. **As she neared the bottom of the steps she paused. Ichigo looked over his shoulder.

"Something wrong?" She smirked playfully.

"Not at all, my dear strawberry." Ichigo twitched. She playfully poked him in the side as she walked past him. She squealed when he poked her back, and bolted through the kitchen door. She burst into the kitchen startling Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin. She quickly ducked as Ichigo dove for her, resulting in a face plant into the floor. She laughed and ran behind Isshin as cover. He looked behind him at her stomach and then her face. She smiled warmly and he visibly relaxed.

"Help! The big bad wolf's trying to eat me!" He chuckled. He flew into a whacked out martial arts stance and turned to face Ichigo, who just sweat dropped.

"Don't worry Princess! The wolf shalln't harm thee in thine presence!" Ichigo looked at Liz.

"You're gonna pay for this." She just giggled and waved. Isshin's foot collided with Ichigo's face and sent him flying. As she tuned out the father son 'bonding' she turned to see Karin and Yuzu looking at her worriedly.

"What?" Yuzu shuffled closer and put her arms around the older woman's waist.

"When Ichigo brought you to Daddy, he wouldn't let us in. Only he was in there, which was really weird." Liz smiled nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm fine now." Karin huffed.

"So why was there a mountain of bloody bandages coming in and out of the room?" Ichigo finally got away from his deranged father and grabbed his and his guest's food.

"C'mon Liz. There's no way we can enjoy a meal down here now." As she stood, she mouthed the words 'later' to Karin. She hesitantly nodded. Liz stepped over Isshin who winked at her and she winked back. Ichigo waited for her at the door and handed her the plate, before closing the door behind her. They walked up the stairs and into his room were a stuffed lion had opened his window, preparing his escape. Ichigo froze, eyes locked on Liz. She calmly set her food on his dresser and walked to his bed, leaning over to grab Kon's tail. She lifted him up to eye level ignoring his protests.

"Who dares touch the mighty Kon?! You shall pay for your- He stopped as his face hung in front of her chest. He probably would have had a nosebleed had he not been made of cotton at the moment.

"So you're the Mod Soul. Interesting…" Kon just nodded, transfixed by her beautiful, gorgeous…well, you get the point. Ichigo twitched and snatched him from her hands.

"YOU'RE A MILLION YEARS LATE YOU LECHER!" Kon's protests were muffled as he was shoved in a drawer. Ichigo took a calm breath and turned to see Liz sitting on his bed eating. He glanced beside him. He hadn't even felt her move to grab the plate. She looked up from her plate with a smug look on her face. He glared at her.

"How long have you known?" Liz paused to count her fingers.

"Since Rukia showed up at school." Ichigo's jaw dropped.

"That long?!" She nodded and looked around.

"Speaking of which, where is my dear friend?" He frowned.

"Good question. She'll be back soon I hope." She raised an eyebrow.

"My company that boring for ya?" He shook his head and sat beside her with his food.

"No, of course not. Its just…" She paused and saw the expression on his face. She giggled and he looked at her weird. She stood and put her now empty plate on his dresser before replying.

"Ah young love. So refreshing!" He turned three dark shades of red before nearly screaming out his protest. She clamped a hand over his mouth and shushed him. She relaxed when she didn't hear anyone coming. She started to laugh and couldn't sop. She fell off the bed onto the floor still giggling. Ichigo looked down and glared at her with full force. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the giggling. It didn't work.

"I'll tickle you." That shut her up and she scooted over an inch or so away from him. He sighed and laid down.

"I won't tickle you, just don't say anything, okay?" He waited for her answer and got light snoring instead. He leaned over to see that Liz had fallen asleep on the floor. Ichigo shook his head and stood, lifting her onto the bed. He tucked her under the covers and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, Liz."

* * *

So did I make Ichigo too OOC? Please tell me!

Kit-chan


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Family & Baseball Bats Don't Mix**

Liz slowly opened her, to find herself staring into Kon's button eyes. She shrieked and fell out of the bed. As she rubbed her injured tailbone, she realized she was still in Ichigo's room. **Hunh…this can't be good. **She looked at the stuffed lion.

"Kon, right? Where'd Strawberry go?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean Ichigo!" **Gold medal for the toy. **Liz rolled her eyes.

"That idiot took off running when he saw this note Rukia-neesan wrote. I got bored of staying in his body." Liz stared at him. "You can do that?"

"What?"

"Switch bodies like that."

"….not really. Could you put me back in so I don't have to explain, doll?" Liz growled and grabbed Kon around his middle. She slammed him ass first into the wall and grabbed the pill that flew out of his mouth. She threw the toy onto the bed and glared full force at the pill.

"Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Doll." She then forced the pill down Ichigo's throat. Once he swallowed it, 'Ichigo' backed himself up in the corner of the room farthest from her. She glared at him and turned to the note. She groaned. **Coded?! Ugh. **She sweat-dropped at the picture Rukia left for a 'hint'. **I'll just assume it's a Tanuki. **She blinked.

"Of course!" Kon lifted his head.

"Did you figure something out?" She glared at him and he let out a small 'eep'. She looked back at the note.

"Ta means without, so I'll just read it without the ta's." She felt Kon sit beside her as she read the note aloud.

"I must go. Don't look for me, and don't worry about me. Burn this letter after you read it. And if you can, stay hidden for awhile." Liz's expression saddened as she realized what had happened. She ignored Kon's frantic panicking and climbed through Ichigo's window onto his roof. She leaned back on her hands and looked at the star lit sky. **Wonder how much longer it'll be till they find her… **Kon's head popped out of Ichigo's window.

"What are you doing up there, doll?! We have to go find Rukia-neesan!" A vein popped in her head and she growled at him.

"I **said **don't call me…" She was interrupted when a massive pyre of reiatsu shot through the black night. Kon yelled in surprise.

"Who the heck is that?!" **Ichigo. **Liz jumped from the room and ran down the street, the blades piercing her skin as her abilities activated. She narrowed her eyes. **Its too far away. I won't make it in time… **Her eyes widened as she felt the other's reiatsu. **Why the hell is a Captain here?! Shit! **She pushed the rest of her reiatsu into her feet and Shunpoed to when where Ichigo was. She managed to see Rukia's back as she entered the gates of the Soul Society, then they closed. Liz kneeled next to him as the gates faded. She put a finger to his neck and checked for a pulse. She sighed in relief. She took note of how much blood he had lost, and the state of his broken Zanpaktou. He was unconscious, skin paper white.

**There's so much blood…looks like he's not ready to fight at Captain-level yet. **She snorted. She glanced over to see Uryuu down as well. She groaned and smacked her forehead with her right hand.

"Boys. Just can't stop 'em, ne?" She looked up to see Urahara standing beside her. She smiled.

"Kisuke. Its good to see ya."

"Mm, its been too long. But don't you think you should be worried about them?"

"Oh yeah…would ya help me with 'em?" He smirked.

"It'll cost you."

"Put it on Isshin's tab." He flashed a peace sign.

"No problemo!" Liz laughed and lifted Ichigo over her shoulders as her powers deactivated, the blades sinking back into her body. She heard Kisuke haul Uryuu over his shoulder as they walked down the street.

"So, your place?"

"Yep." They walked in silence the rest of the way. As they reached his shop she turned to him.

"Are you going to tell him about Rukia?" His eyes darkened slightly, as he walked past her into the shop. She sighed. **Ah well, I tried. **As soon as she stepped into the shop she was bombarded with noise of Jinta's voice.

"What happened?! Did you have to fight anyone?! Come on, come on! Tell me!" She rolled her eyes and ignored him, walking further back into the shop. She managed to close the sliding door behind her as she reached the guest room. She set Ichigo down on a futon, gently returning him to his body. She turned to Tessai, who sat beside the futon, legs crossed.

"When'd ya get his body?" Tessai frowned.

"I wish you wouldn't speak with such a tone Miss Elizabeth." She rolled her eyes.

"Just answer."

"Just after you left."

"Where's the stupid Mod soul?"

"At the house, I believe." Liz sighed. **Well, Ichigo's going to be okay for now. Maybe I should head home… **A lightbulb seemed to go off in her head and she gasped. Tessai raised an eyebrow.

"I-I have to go home! Tell Ichigo and Uryuu I hope they feel better!" She quickly ran out of the room and bumped into Urahara.

"Sorry, but I have to get home!" She ignored his amused smirked and bolted down the street, back to her house. She finally stopped in front of her house, breathing heavily. She leaned on the gate and caught her breath. She looked up and took in the appearance of her house. It was a basic house with two floors plus an attic, though it had quite a large front and back yard. A small gravel path from the gate led to the porch steps, while in the back they had a small pond with bamboo and sand surrounding it. She stood up and opened the gate, closing it behind her. She walked up the steps and saw that the lights were on. She stepped inside, only to meet a baseball bat to the stomach. She saw stars and pretty birdies dance around her head before she fell to her knees, holding her stomach.

"HA! TAKE THAT YOU…you…you're my sister." Liz managed to wheeze out a, "no shit", before she was roughly tackled into the carpet.

"Where were you?! You didn't come home!!"

"Darry." The boy on top of her stopped ranting.

"Yeah?" Liz breathed out her answer.

"I think you broke my ribs."

"Oh, that. Sorry." He clambered off her and helped her up. She finally got a good view of him as she leaned on her little brother. Darian had the spikiest black hair she had ever seen, even in anime, and had almost fluorescent green eyes. Most people didn't believe that they were related and she didn't blame them. He was currently in a black t-shirt, baggy blue jeans and socks. He had several silver chains hanging from his neck, as well as two silver hoops in each ear. He was nearly thirteen, and in grade seven. She gasped as she experimentally poked her ribs. She smiled weakly down at him.

"Kicked off the baseball team, huh?" He chuckled and led her to the living room, putting her down in one of the chairs.

"Could ya go get me some ice?" He pouted.

"What, now I'm you're slave?"

"You just whacked me with a baseball bat."

"…point taken." He went into the kitchen as she relaxed into the chair. He came back with a bag of ice and laid it on her ribcage. She hissed through her teeth as he sat in a chair across from her. He winced.

"That must have hurt." Her eyes softened as she saw his guilty expression.

"Don't worry, Darry. Guess I don't have to worry about ya home alone after all, huh?" He grinned sheepishly. Liz chuckled, spotting three empty pizza boxes on the coffee table.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah."

"Any leftovers"?

"Nope. I brought the human vacuum with me tonight."

"You're friend Kate, right?" Damn. Did ya let her in the kitchen?"

"Nope."

"Good boy." They laughed until Liz winced. He sighed.

"Okay, bed time."

"What? I'm not a kid!" He just looked at her.

"What?" He shook his head and helped her up the stairs to her room. She gingerly laid down on the bed, Darry taking her heels and wristbands off. He put the ice bag on her bedside table and tucked the covers over her. She sighed, content. **Maybe being a kid ain't so bad… ** Darry patted the top of her head and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"g'night sis." She yawned.

"g'night Darry." Liz tried to go to sleep, but images of Ichigo, Uryuu, and Rukia kept flashing through her mind. **He's going to want to save her…they probably all will. Should I go too? Rukia's my friend and all, but Darry can't live on his own. If I die…what will happen to him? He doesn't know Rukia; I don't think he'd understand… **She managed to fall asleep dwelling on her thoughts.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Decisions**

Liz opened her eyes and slammed her hand down on her alarm clock. She retracted her limb back into the warmth of her blankets, sighing contentedly. Her brother slammed the door open.

"**GET UP! TIME FOR SCHOOL!!" **She twitched and stuck her head out of her blankets. She childishly stuck her tongue out at him. He glared at her.

"Up. Now." She huffed.

"Fine, fine." She reluctantly slid out of bed to find that she had slept in her bloodstained uniform. She wrinkled her nose. **I can't be wearing this today! **She shrugged out of her clothes and skipped over to her closet. She opened it and skimmed through the hangers. She grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom, turning the shower on. She got in and quickly scrubbed all the dried blood and sweat off. She poked her ribs experimentally and grinned when she felt no pain. She hopped out of the shower and wrapped her hair up in a towel. She stood in front of a full length mirror as she dried herself off with another towel. **I wonder if anyone will remember her….Ichigo probably, maybe Uryuu. **She sighed. She turned to her clothes and stepped into them. She had grabbed a pair of black wide leg pants and a tight blue t-shirt with a black dragon design. She pulled her hair into a loose bun and put on some clear lip gloss. Thin tendrils of her hair fell from the bun as she hurried down the stairs. She grabbed a piece of toast as she pulled her leather jacket on. She grabbed her bag and quickly zipped up her black stiletto boots. She waved to Darry as she swallowed the toast and shot down the path, launching herself over the gate. She slowed as she reached the edge of the street where it connected with the highway.

She sighed as she stopped at the corner. **We're going to have to do a lot of fighting now. If we go to the Soul Society, we might not all come back. **She laughed bitterly at the irony. **And here I thought I'd never be able to see Mom and Dad's old home. **She turned the corner and walked through the school yard, earning many stares. She smirked and kept walking until she was in the building. There, the stares only grew. **Is my showing up at school without my uniform that bad?**

"NEKOMIA!" Liz stood still as her gym teacher jogged up to her.

"Why aren't you wearing the school approved uniform?!" She smirked as students began to watch. She answered in a blunt voice, face completely deadpanned.

"I couldn't get the blood stains out." She walked past him as he gaped at her like a fish, ignoring the urge to flip him the bird. She walked up the stairs to the second level where her class was. She walked in and looked around. Students were in an excited frenzy, yelling about their summer plans. Ichigo's friends were no exception. She slung her coat over her shoulder and walked up to them, catching the tail end of they're 'argument'.

"Come on Ichigo! It's for the beach! The babes! The sun! Can't you're plans wait?!"

"No, they can't! Now get away from me!!" Keigo was trying desperately to get at Ichigo who held him back with one hand on the forehead. She chuckled and walked up behind Keigo. She tapped his shoulder as Ichigo blinked at her. Keigo turned in mid-rant.

"It'll just be us du…" He stopped and stared. She had flashed her million dollar, fake, smile at him.

"Could Ichigo and I speak alone, Keigo? I'd really appreciate it." She battered her eyelashes at him from lowered eyes. He stuttered and walked back over to Mizuiro. Ichigo watched her with tense eyes as she sat on his desk, facing the wall. Her feet dangles slightly as a breeze passed through the class' windows, ruffling her loose hair.

"So."

"So?" She reached over and lightly poked his bandaged neck with her fingernail.

"Who gave you that?" He turned away from her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No one worth mentioning." Liz smiled. **I wonder what he would think about that. **She chuckled lightly, closing her eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. So, where's Rukia?" She heard his sharp intake of breath and looked over. His face was frozen with shock. She smiled again, a sickly sweet kind. She leaned over and ran her fingers down the side of his face, letting her reiatsu slip out a little. Her senses heightened and she felt Uryuu, Orihime, and Chad tense. Ichigo's mouth hung open slightly as she leaned in to whisper into his ear.

"I'm not like you, Shinigami. I'm much, much worse."

"Hey, hey! What's with this?!" She pulled back sharply to see Chizuru standing there with slight tears in her eyes.

"Elizabeth…" She immediately went to her side, wrapping her arms around Chizuru's waist.

"Don't worry, love. I'm still yours." She smiled brightly, tears evaporating. She hugged her back and snuggled into her chest.

"So we're still on for tonight?" Liz sweat dropped. **When the hell did we make plans for tonight? **

"Ah, actually Chi…" She pulled back with a slightly angered face.

"I, uh, I have plans. I have to go see an old friend who's only here for a few days."

"Oh…I guess that's okay!" Chizuru jumped out of her arms and bent over, lightly giving her a kiss on the cheek. She turned and ran over to Orihime. Liz chuckled and turned around to the guys. Everyone but Ichigo was staring at her blankly. He just yawned and set his head on his desk.

"…what?"

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" She raised an eyebrow at Keigo as they all ran into their proper seating. Liz set her stuff down in the desk in front of Ichigo and handed him a piece of paper to right on. She turned her head slightly as he poked her. He shrugged, saying he didn't know what to write. The teacher walked in as she pointed to his bandages. He rolled his eyes.

"Alright class! Today is the last day till summer vacation! So, we're going to cram as much in as we can!" The teacher smiled as a collective groan echoed through the classroom. Liz felt something poke her back and she slipped her hand behind her. She brought the paper onto her lap as the teacher began to lecture about Algebra. She unfolded, trying not to crinkle it.

_First you tell me why you remember Rukia_

Liz quickly wrote something down as she reached for her textbook, handing it to him as she bent over.

_**People with higher levels of reiatsu then a normal human aren't affected**_**.**

Liz heard Ichigo groan as she flipped through the pages of her text. She settled down and closed her eyes when she found the right page. Another poke to her back and she grunted, unmoving. He tossed the paper onto her desk. She grabbed it and quickly put it in her lap.

_So you aren't human?_

She physically tensed as she read the question. Uryuu through her a worried glance, but she just smiled and shook her head. Her pen hovered over the pen as she thought of an answer.

_**Only my body is human based. My reiatsu, or spiritual energy, is a different kind. It's…. complicated**_**.**

She tossed it back to him as the teacher walked down the aisle. She smiled at her brightly and began writing formulas, equations, etc. He tossed it over her shoulder as the teacher walked past them.

_The man who took Rukia did it. She called him brother._

_**Byakuya. He's…he's certainly talented**__._

_You're telling me. I seriously thought I was gonna die._

_**Well, ya didn't. Did they tell ya the sentence?**_

_Yeah. Death._

Liz sat frozen as she stared at the one word. A sharp poking between her shoulders and a voice snapped her out of it.

"Nekomia? Nekomia Elizabeth?

"Y-yes?"

"Is everything alright?"

"I-I'm fine…just not feelin' too well…" The teacher frowned, but continued on with the lesson. Liz quickly scribbled her answer, tossing it over her shoulder.

_**Ya positive?**_

_Pretty damn sure._

Liz sat back and ran a hand through her hair, pulling it out of its bun. She sighed. **Death…poor Rukia…wait… **An image of her and a small boy with flaming red hair pulled up in a ponytail flashed into her mind. **He wouldn't just watch, would he? **As the classroom quieted down to work independently, she made up her mind.

_**You're going to get her.**_

_Yep._

_**Then I'm coming with ya.**_

She heard Ichigo's soft growl as she quickly finished the assignment. Despite what people said about her she was quite smart.

_No you're not_

_**Why?**_

_What would Darry do if you died?_

_**What would you're family do if ya died?**_

It took a few moments for him to answer as she packed up her textbook and binder.

_…you're sure?_

_**'course.**_

_It'll be dangerous._

She snorted and turned around to look him in the eye. She leaned over just as the bell rang.

"Ya think I'm scared? After what we've been through together, ya should know better, Strawberry." She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder, tucking her coat under her arm. She walked out of the room, heading for her next class. A hand on her wrist stopped her as she reached for her phone. She turned and saw Ichigo. He blushed very lightly and let go of her wrist.

"Um…thanks…Liz." She smiled crookedly and reached up to ruffle his hair. He scowled at her and she snickered.

"So, Urahara's tonight?"

"How do you know Hat n' Clogs?"

"…I'm gonna ignore the nickname. He's an old friend."

"Was that who you were talking about with Chizuru?" She nodded, starting back down the hall. She called back as the crowd engulfed her.

"Tonight, okay?!"

"Sure!" She detached herself from the mob and walked into her Science lab. She glanced around and saw Chad. She waved to him as she made her way to the window, dumping her stuff in a random desk. She flipped open her red Blackberry, and hit three on the speed dial. She held the phone up to her ear as the person picked up.

"Hey."

"Darry?"

"Oh, hey Sis! What's up?"

"Oh nothin' much. Just wanted to call and say I'll be stayin' with Kisuke tonight."

"What?! The Pervert?!" She chuckled.

"I don't understand why ya don't like him. Well, Ichigo'll be there, so you don't have to worry." She heard him huff moodily.

"Okay…I guess that's not **too **bad…" She laughed.

"Bye Darry."

"Bye." She flipped her phone shut, smiling. **Sometimes he worse then Mom was. **She froze as she turned to the classroom. She grabbed her head as a major migraine hit her. **Okay, I get it! No thinking about Mom or Dad! **The headache immediately faded. Liz shivered as she felt a chilling winter breeze pass over her skin, only to find that the windows were shut.


End file.
